Boney Mtn. Trail Half Marathon 2012 – Newbury Park
I am a huge fan of the Xterra Races and this race is a must-do race. I usually train for the Catalina Buffalo Half but they have had some issues that I won’t go into here that caused me to bail on that half and find a new trail half. And, Boney Mtn is it. It gives you everything that the Buffalo Half has, the hills and the beauty. This is one tough race.
The best way to get an idea is to watch the video.
Train Focused, Steve Mackel, Certified ChiRunning® Instructor
Rose Parade Bandit Run – 2012
What a great morning. What a great way to start the new year. What a great parade. This unofficial run, not race, is all about fun. This year it was warm, perfect running that morning. It is 5 miles up to the floats, then you turn around run back down Colorado Blvd.
Now that I have done this twice, here are the must do list:
The Sole Runners, as we train for full and half marathons, will make this an optional training run. Special thanks to the Inland Empire Running Club, Pasadena Tri Club, Pasadena Pacers and other running clubs for joining us.
See you next year!
Train Focused, Steve Mackel – Sole Runners Head Coach
Havasupai Camping Aug. 2011 – A Great Workout and Better Experience
I talk a lot about cross-training but not enough about getting back to nature. Our camping trip to Havasupai, the Havasupai Falls and west end of the Grand Canyon was as expected, spectacular both cross-training and getting back to nature.
This video will give you a good idea of what you are in for. I show the hike, the campgrounds and fun things to do. Below are a few extra tips for your Havasuapi experience.
Our destination was the beautiful waterfalls and turquiose waters Havasupai offers. The trail is difficult in the summer heat but did offer shady spots so we weren’t exposed the entire hike. The hike back up to your car is even harder after days of exploring. Please make sure to stay well hydrated and wear sunscreen.
The hike to the campground is 10 miles. Between pictures, lunch, a long stop at the village and moving slow in general, it took us about 6 hours to get to the campgrounds.
Once in the Havasupai Falls area we probably walked 10 miles a day exploring. I used the Addizero Trail XT shoes for the hike then water shoes for the rest of my exploring. You are getting wet all the time. water shoes allow you to scramble around the rocks, whether you are in the river or hiking around it.
The entire Havasupai area was changed by a flash flood in 2008. This was my first time visiting this area so I can only imagine the pristine grotto the campground used to be. In August of 2011, you can still see the ravaging effects of the flash flood. Dead or dying older trees, new falls, loss of the old ones, changes in the river and streams, are all part of the Havasupai rebirth experience.
Highlights are general exploring. Mooney Falls at the end of the campground is awesome and as I show in the video. The hike to the bottom of Havasupai’s Mooney Falls is worth the trip all by itself. As a warning, the hike down and up can be scary for many but as long as you take your time it is safe.
Playing in the water is funtastic. Scramble around in the river. The rocks look slippery but actually provide decent footing considering you are in water.
I didn’t need a sleeping bag but I wished I had brought a tent instead of a REI Bug Hut. July and August are monsoon season and it rained on me two of the three nights. The last night was thunder, lighting and hard rain for a couple of hours. I had to crowd into a friend’s tent.
The easiest way to do The Havasupai trip is to let the mules bring your heavy gear down and you hike with a daypack. Check for the per bag charge and weight limitations but this allows you some extra luxuries.
I have read some on-line reviews of the Supai Village that I didn’t think were completely fair. You have to realize where you are, the farthest city from an actual road in the United States. The village and animals are not pristine, in fact parts are dirty but it is a difficult way of life and the hikers are probably a dirty demanding bunch too.
The only bummer is the lack of respect many campers have for their surroundings by leaving trash on the trail and in the campground. Some trash must fall out when the mules carry it up to the top and flash floods push trash in to weird place but campers, please remember where you are and treat it with respect.
We made the hike back our training day. Moving quickly, stopping in the village for a quick snack, limiting stops on the trail and I even ran the last, steepest mile I made it from campground to car in 3 hours and 46 minutes. It was hot and I was sweaty but buying a couple of ice cold waters to pour over me and a Otter Pop made it worthwhile.
I will be back because Havasupai it provides some very unique potential camping, hiking and fun experience that you will be hard pressed to find any other place in the world. Be respectful and don’t forget to get an icee at the General Store in Havasupai Village.
Hike Focused,
Steve Mackel, Sole Runners Marathon and Half Marathon Training Programs Head Coach
Palos Verdes Marathon 2011 Video and Race Review
Many people might not know it but the Palos Verdes marathon is part of running history. It is the 2nd longest continuous running marathon in the United States, next to Boston. It is hard to believe it that the west coast, let alone Palos Verdes, owns that distinction. This year featured the new “flatter, faster” course. We should have known, there are no flat places in Palos Verdes. They also had to double the course for the marathoners. The half marathon definitely pulls a majority of the crowd. The full marathon is only a few hundred runners so it gets a little lonely but the views help the miles move by quickly.
This is a home grown race with very reasonable entry fees. Their profits go to local charities because of the work of the Kiwanis Club of Rolling Hills Estates. There are so many reason to support this race. It is on my yearly list but I may go back to running the half.
This year was also special because SoCalRunning.com presented the first ever Palos-Dena Ultra Challenge 52.4/26.2 What a warrior event, two tough races in two days. Palos Verdes kicked it off and it was a doosey. Put one of the Palos Verdes races on the calendar next year. See you in 2012.
Challenge Focused, Steve Mackel, RRCA Marathon Coach
How to Run the Catalina Marathon (The Tips) by Coach Gary Smith
Getting Race Ready? Watch This – Gary gives you a high tech RunCast, from 2008 on running the Catalina Marathon, what to be aware of on the course, miles to go fast, miles not to use too much energy, the nutrition he uses, and how to not talk to cats???
Windows Users click here to see video if you have a problem
Race Focused, Steve Mackel, Sole Runners’ Head Coach
Sycamore Canyon Run with Danny Abshire and Our Newton Running Shoe Crew
Danny Abshire, forunder of Newton Running Shoes, was out in CA promoting his new book Natural Running. I was lucky enough to get to run with him and some other new friends. What I don’t show is all the cool running stories he told us while we ran the first 6.5 miles. The second half of the run was a good push, especially for me. I ended up getting a little over 13 miles in with a 10 minute negative split. Plus, I joined the thousands that ran Super Bowl Sunday morning here in So Cal. Trail Running rocks.
Train Focused, Steve Mackel – Triathlon Coach
Are You Ready for Lasting, Positive Change? by Emily Wilska
The article below applies to your running as well as your life. My job as a coach is to keep you focused and organization is a key. Having a person or group for accountability to help you with your plan makes a big difference. That is why I started the Sole Runners Full and Half Marathon Training Programs. Look for more organization tips to help you with your scheduling, running and life. Organized Focused, Steve Mackel – MarathonTraining.TV Founder
“Are You Ready for Lasting, Positive Change?” by Emily Wilska
With 2011 just days away, you, like millions of others, may be setting resolutions for the months ahead. Whether your goals involve getting more organized, adopting healthier habits, taking control of your finances, or improving some other area of your life, you’re far more likely to succeed if you do a bit of advance planning.
Here are a few questions to keep in mind that will help set you up for success as you choose your resolutions for the new year.
#1: Does my motivation come from within?
Adopting a resolution because you truly want to make a change, rather than because someone else thinks you should, will make you more likely to do what it takes to achieve it without resenting it. If the goal you have in mind isn’t one you’d choose on your own, consider an alternative.
#2: Is my resolution realistic?
Ambitious goals can be motivational, but if they’re not tempered by a dose of realism, they can be very hard to achieve. As you set your resolutions, aim to make them challenging but doable: rather than hoping to lose 20 pounds a month, for example, aim for losing 5 or 6 pounds at a time, and then keeping them off throughout the year.
#3: Do I have a plan?
One of the quickest ways to see your resolutions derailed is to try to achieve them without first creating a plan for each. Give yourself a leg up by defining solid steps that will help you work toward accomplishing your goals. Want to get more organized, for example? Take the time to write up a plan for weeding out what you don’t need, creating storage for the items you keep, and developing habits that will help you stay organized over the long term.
#4: Do I have a support system?
No matter what your resolution, chances are it’ll be easier to achieve if you don’t have to go it alone. Find a supportive, nonjudgmental friend, family member, neighbor, or online buddy who can help you get through the rough patches en route to your goal and celebrate your successes.
#5: Am I prepared for obstacles?
No matter how motivated, well prepared, and supported you may be, chances are you’ll run into at least a few snags as you work toward making your resolution a reality. To ensure that these hurdles don’t trip you up completely, it’s important, first and foremost, to be aware that they’re likely to appear: if you’re aiming to eat healthier, for example, you can expect some moments of temptation when you’re faced with less nutritious foods. Believing that you’ll be able to accomplish your goal without facing any challenges is unrealistic, and can make it even more demotivating when you do trip up.
The next step in overcoming obstacles is to prepare in advance for how you’ll overcome them. If you expect that you might be tempted by junk food, what will you do? If your goal is to exercise more, how will you handle those days on which you’d rather do anything other than hit the gym or go for a walk? Having solutions at hand to overcome the hurdles you think you might encounter will make it easier to deal with them–and then to continue on toward your goal.
Whatever your resolution for the year ahead, use these five questions to create a plan that will make it much more likely that, come late December next year, you’ll be celebrating 12 months of success.
Emily Wilska is the Organization Editor for BellaOnline.com
Posted with permission from Emily Wilska
13.1 Los Angeles Half Marathon January 16, 2011
What a great, beautiful Sunday in Los Angeles. The stage was set for the 2nd annual 13.1 Los Angeles Half Marathon. It just doesn’t get any better than this in January. The race started at 7:13 AM. About 3,500 runners took on this race through the streets of Venice and West LA. The course is flat and fast. In this video I tried to show the on course entertainment, the cool people, fast runners and most of all the fun attitude of everyone involved.
Personally I didn’t set any personal records (PR’s) because I just wanted to have a good time, which I did. But, there were many PR’s set and smiles after the race. We followed the race a fantastic breakfast. I love racing, meeting new people and running with old friends.
The 13.1 is a series of 9 races across the Untied States over 2011. For more information on the 13.1 series go to http://www.131marathon.com
Train Focused, Steve Mackel – Certified ChiRunning® Instructor
Lost in Madrid, Espana – November 2010
Madrid, Spain is a beautiful city with lots of great site, varied terrain and runners. I had a great time just walking around but running was even more fun. I take you around a small but popular part of Madrid, running on tiny streets, through town squares, parks and past the local sites.
I was scouting Madrid as a possible Marathon to take the Sole Runners to one of these years. It is a great fun place to be and run.
Train Focused, Steve Mackel – Co-founder SoCalRunning.com
Athens Classic Marathon – The 2500th Anniversary of “The Marathon” 31-10-10
I don’t even know where to start but can I ever top this marathon? Probably not. Today was history. Today, 2500 years later we retraced history. Everything about the day was special and the last 2 minutes of the video are almost worth the first 10 minutes.
Once again I try to show you the course and the people running it, as well as share my personal experience with you. I met people from all of the world. What I don’t show you or talk about are the smells. International marathons, or at least this one had some smelly people. If you smell the chances are I don’t interview you. Second, more men run than women and it feels like it is the exact opposite in the States. Also, the runners are much faster. I haven’t seen the official stats but the median finishing time has to be closer to 4 hours rather than most marathons in the States which seem to be around 5 hours.
The city of Athens stepped up and this marathon was managed very well. I felt it ran smoothly and have some suggestion for race directors that I Iearned today.
I also managed to PR which added to the day and my feelings but nothing beats running into the marble Olympic stadium in Athens. The music was pumping and the people never stopped cheering. It was amazing.
Now, I can start looking for the next international marathon to run. Join the email list in the center column and it will keep you in the loop because the Sole Runners had a great time and are going to make this an annual event.
Lastly, I have to thank all the Sole Runners that made the trip over with us, Michele for making our wings that everyone loved, and all our well wishers. I’ll see you State-side soon. Look for my Madrid video at the end of the week.
Train Focused, Steve Mackel – Head Coach Sole Runners
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